Do you know of any reasonably credible sources that list the premiums and deductibles that hospitals/doctors (of any kind, but largely medical surgeons for intensive-care/emergency/surgical hospitals) pay for medical malpractice insurance? I'm researching figures for a malpractice reform idea. [more inside]
posted by Quarter Pincher on Mar 16, 2009 - 2 answers

A friend of mine has 3 kids who were all delivered via caesarean section. She is pregnant again and wants to have the baby vaginally at home with a midwife. Doctors are telling her she has to have this 4th baby via caesarean section because having it vaginally could rupture her uterus. Has anyone had any experience with this? Her husband is out of work (actively looking for a job), she is a stay at home mom, and they presently have no insurance. They can't afford to have a baby in the hospital without insurance. Are there any other options they have? Is there any government help in a case like this?
posted by JPowers on Aug 2, 2008 - 19 answers

Should I really owe the hospital $400 for tests I was unaware of? [more inside]
posted by sian on Mar 14, 2008 - 9 answers

I am insured through a PPO. I was taken to an out-of-network hospital following an accident with major trauma. Am I out of luck for the charges above and beyond the dreaded "usual, customary, and reasonable" charges? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Nov 8, 2007 - 4 answers

My mother went to the emergency hospital last year and was billed a hefty amount. She was covered with health insurance from her company (Destiny) and the hospital was "in-network". The insurance company paid the hospital fee (which was the larger amount) but only paid about half the physician fee because the physician was "out-of-network". My mother asked whether or not the physician was in-network or out-of-network when she was in the hospital and the nurse just told her not to worry about it. My questions are, 'How can a hospital be in-network and fully covered but assign her an out-of-network physician which won't be fully covered under the insurance?' and 'Is there anything she can do about this? I don't think it's fair she has to pay for something she didn't have a choice in'.
posted by lpctstr; on Nov 23, 2005 - 10 answers